TEMPLES

Big Buddha is one of the island’s most important and literally unmissable landmarks. Clad in Burmese marble and sitting on top of the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata, enjoy unrivalled 360-degree views of the entire island from this vantage point.

In all, there are about 30 Buddhist temples to visit; each with its own quirks. Wat Chalong, with its gilt statues of two revered monks, Wat Phra Thong with its half-buried Buddha statue and Wat Phra Nang Sang; complete with 3,000 year old Buddha heads are among the most spectacular.